Steering mechanism for three-wheeled vehicles.



-N. SPANOVIC. STEERING MECHAMSM ma THREE yvHLELen VEHICLES. PPLICATIONFILED FEB. l5. |915. RENEWED MAR; 29* |918. Patented Nov. 5, wl't.

z SHEETS-SHEET V1 f1 A' J4 h2 ucm-luz Lw' y* i I n@ m@ v www @pawn/mSTEERING MECHANISM FOR THREE WHEELED VEHICLES. APPLICATION FILEDFEB..,I5, I'IIIs.l REIIEwDfMAR. 29. IQIs.

Patented Nov. 5, 1918.

.ZV/Mm @Mmm/IEC NINKO SPNDVIC, OF PITTSBURGH, IPENNSaillfiihlll'Mii.-

rasante.

Specification of Letters Patent.`

STEERING 1VIECHANISM`FOR THREE-WHEELED VEHICLES. V

Patented Nov. 5, i912.

Application filed February 15, 1915, Serial No. 8,397. Renewed March 29,1918. Serial No. 225,580.

To @ZZ whom may concern.'

Be it known that I, NINKO SPANovio, a citizen of the United States ofyAmericznresiding at Pittsburgh, in the county of Alle gheny and Stateof Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improve- Vments inSteering Mechanism for Three- Wheeled Vehicles, of Whichthe following isa specification.

The present invention relates to improvements in motor vehicles of thethree-wheel motor cycle type, and -is designed especially toprovide'means by which the vehicle may be tilted as a supplementalsteering device to the usual mode of turning the steering Wheels.

The primary obj ect of the invention is to provide a supplementalsteering means so that the vehicle may be made to turn corners with morefacility and ata more rapid speed, and to turn sharper corners, than is'attainable with the usual form of steering gear for this type ofvehicles. l

The invention consists essentially in certain novel combinations andarrangements of parts as will be hereinafter more fully described andclaimed.

In the accompanying drawings I have illustrated one complete example ofthe physical embodiment of my invention constructed according to thebest mode I have so far devised for the practical application of theprinciples of my invention.

Figure 1 is an elevation of a three-wheeled vehicle constructedaccording to and einbodying the novel features of my invention.

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the machine, or vehicle.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view shewing the steering post and theconnections for tilting the body or frame of the vehicle.

Fig. 4 is a top plan view of the4 front wheels and forks, showing thesteering mechanism partly in section.

Fig. 5 is a horizontal sectional view showing the upper tilting bar, aportion of the steering post and the upper stud axle for the tiltableframe.

In the preferred embodiment. of the invention illustrated in thedrawings the two front wheels 1 and 2, are llic steering Wheels and therear wheell 3 is intended for the driving wheel,V although no motor isillustrated herein it being understood that any suitable motor maybeused, and the in- 4 is of the usual motorcycle or bicycle type but atits front it is formed with a pair o bearing sleeves 7 and S that arejoined by the webs 9, 10. These two sleeves it will be seen decline t0the rear from the horizontal, and are located at the extreme front ofthe frame to receive the respective stud shafts or axles 11, and 12, theformer being integral with a cylindrical casing or tube 13, and thelatter integral with and extending rearwardly at a right angle from therack bar 14. In normal position these two shafts or axles 11 and 12 aredirectly in line, axle 12 directly under axle 11, and the casing 13 hasa pair of arms 15-15 extending laterally therefrom forming a continuoustransverse bar located above the rack bar 14. Each of these transversebars is connected by its diagonally extending braces 16 and 17 with itsrespective axle 11 and 12 andthe latter have their ends As best seen inFig. 4 the transverse tilting rack bar 14 has its ends 14 14 off settherefrom, and these ends are each formed with a knuckle 20 20 to whichthe lower ends of the pivot bars 21, 22, are pivoted. The.

upper ends of these bars are pivoted at 23 lund24 to the 'knuckles atthe ends of the transverse bar 15, andthe two transverse bars and pivothars thus `form a rectangular shaped tilting frame for the vehicle. At

4each end of this frame the pivot bars are incased in a sleeve orbearing tube as 25, 26, and these two bearing'tubcs are respectivelyintegral portions of the wheel forks 27 and 2S, to which the usualsprings 29 are attached.

rl`he usual type of steering apparatus coinprises thc sleeve or tube 30,within the casing 1?, formed with the front perforated lug 3l to whichthe transif'erse steering rod 32 is pii'oted, and the ends of this rodare pivotcd at l, il, to the perforated ears 34, 34 integral with andprojecting forwardly of the fork sleeves 25, 26. 4

At its upper end the tube 8f.) is flared and ifo formed as a beveledtoothed head or pinion 35 with which the wheel or gear 36 meshes. Thisgear 36 is fixed upon the' rearwardly inclined steering post 37 to whichis attached the steering wheel 38, and the post is supported'on the benthollow bar 39. The steering `post is thus rotatable by means of the handwheel over the bar 39, and when the wheel is turned to rotate thesteering post about the then stationary bent bar 39, it will be seenthat the front wheels 1 and 2 are turned either to the right or to theleft through the connection between the gears 36, 35, sleeve 30, lug 31and the steering rod 32 connected to the ears of the sleeves upon thewheel forks. In this manner the casing 13 becomes the head in which theparts are rotated.

Now when it is desired to tilt the vehicle assuming the rider to be inthe seat 6 and grasping the wheel 38, the wheel, upper end of the bentbar, the steering post and sleeve 30 are swung to the right in Fig. 2.Under these iconditions the sleeve 30 is stationary Within the casing orhead 13 and the collar 40 revolves with the lower end of the bentpendent steering movements,

bar whilst-he teeth 41 engage the-teeth on rack bar 14 and the rack baris moved Ato the right in Fig. 2Q The two sleeves 7 and 8 are moved outof vertical'alinement, the sleeve 17 swinging to the right and thesleeve 8 swinging to the left in Fig. 2 and the transverse bar 15 alsoswingsto the left, and the rectangular frame composed of the twotransverse bars 14 15 and 21, 22 is transformed into a rhomboid with thetwo bars 21 22 inclined to the vertical. Thus the two forks'27 and 28are tilted, and with them the two wheels 1 and 2 are tilted. The rearwheel 3 is also tilted in the same direction, as it will be rememberedthat the frame 4is tilted by the swinging out of alinement of the two.shafts 11 and 12 in their bearing sleeves. This above describedoperation will tilt the motorcycle so that when approaching the observerit will turn tothe observers left. i

In addition tothetwo separate and indez'. e., turning of the wheel andytilting of the vehicle, both these movements may be accomplished at thesame time by the simple 'action of swinging the post and turning thesteering wheel suddenly, as at a sharp corner, or by tilting the machinemay take a curve at far greater speed than could be taken with themachine standing upright. The tilted machine, of course, is righted by areverse movement of the parts as described.

.From the-'above description taken in connection with my drawings it isevident that I have produced a machine that is capable of facilesteering and tilting, and which will perform. its functions in a mostefiicient manner.

That I claim is 1. The combination with a motorcycle having a pair ofsteering wheels and a, frame, of forks for the wheels each having abearing sleeve and a pivot bar therein, transverse bars pivotallymounted on the frame and connecting the ends of the pivot bars, andmeans for moving said transverse bars to tilt the wheels.

2. The combination in a wheeled vehicle having a pair of wheels and aframe and forks for the wheels each having a sleeve, a pivot bar in eachsleeve, transverse tiltin bars pivotally mounted on the frame andconnecting the ends of the pivot bars one of which is formed with arack, and a properly supported gear member engaging said rack to tiltthe wheels and frame as described.

3. The combination in a wheeled vehicle including a pair of wheels and aframe and 'forks for the wheels each having a sleeve,

a pivot bar in each sleeve, transverse tilting bars pivotally supportedon the frame and connecting the ends of the pivot bars one of which isformed with a rack, a steering head rigidly connected with one of saidtransverse bars and having a bentsteering bar, and a toothed memberactuated by said steering bar to move the transverse rack bar to tiltsaid wheels and frame.

4. The combination.in a vehicle having a pair of front wheels and aflexible frame made up of loosely jointed members supported thereby, amain frame pivotally connected to the flexible frame l porting the mainframe, and means for flexing the liexible frame to laterally tilt allthe wheels and the main frame, as described.

5. The combination in a vehicle having a pair of wheels supporting aliexible frame made up of loosely jointed members between them, a pairof vertically alined shafts on the flexible frame, a main frame havingpivot connection on these shafts and a support for the main trame, andmeans for flexing said flexible frame to tilt the wheels and main frame.

The combination in a vehicle with a pair of wheels and an intermediatefiexible frame made up of loosely'jointed members supported thereby, amain frame pivotally connectedtoithe intermediate frame and a and awheel sup4 simultaneously. Thus the rider may turn mamme @i support forthe main frame, and means for steering post fulcrumed in and.operatively i0 flexing the flexible frame to tilt the Wheels connectedto the flexible frame for laterally and mainframe. tilting the Wheelsand main frame.

7.-'l`he combination in a vehicle with a ln' testimony whereof il affixmy signature pair of Wheels and an intermediate flexible in presence oftwo Witnesses.

frame made up of loosely jointed members NllNKO SPliNVllCd supportedthereby, 'a main frame pivotully Witnesses:

I connected to the flexible frame aiid a sup- RNO Jl. VOIGT,

port for the main frame, and an oseillateble JOSEPH P. ZINK.

